26.09.07 – By Matthew Hurley: According to the World Boxing Council (WBC) Oleg Maskaev suffered a multiple back disc herniation injury that prompted him to pull out of his scheduled bout with long suffering number one contender Samuel Peter. In it’s whacked out wisdom the WBC has decided to proclaim Peter as its interim champion. This all comes on the heels of WBC president Jose Sulaiman doing everything he could to grant the inactive Vitali Klitschko a title shot against Maskaev despite the fact that Peter had already twice fought and beaten James Toney in elimination bouts for the number one ranking.
The WBC, long derided at this address, has been nothing but a thorn in the side of the boxing game. It is headed by businessman Jose Sulaiman. How he was ever voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame is beyond me. I’d like to find those who voted him in and revoke their voting privileges. But then again Don King was voted in as well so it’s obvious that nefarious characters have their place – and boxing is filled with them.
The WBC, in application of Rule 1.26 and 1.27 mandates that, “in the instance where an interim title is applicable, to recognize as interim champion the winner of a previous elimination fight. Samuel Peter won not only one, but two final elimination bouts in a row against James Toney in September 2006 and in January 2007.”
The sad part of all this is that Maskaev, a genuine good guy, doesn’t want anything to do with Peter. Hurt or not, this lucky heavyweight champion (lucky because he got to face perhaps the most underachieving heavyweight fighter in Hasim Rahman for the belt) was desperately hoping for a big payday against Vitali Klitschko. An all European heavyweight smackdown. When Klitschko got hurt (and when is that galoot ever not hurt?) Maskaev faced the prospect of stepping into the ring with the murderous punching and long deserving Samuel Peter. The fight was signed, a month went by and suddenly the old boy from Kazakhstan pulls out. It was hardly unexpected and it won’t surprise many if Maskaev never fights again. He made his money, he got the belt and because he’s a chinny fighter it’s understandable why he wouldn’t want to swap punches with the “Nigerian Nightmare”.
But in the end, it’s tarnishes the mere idea of the heavyweight champion being, as Mike Tyson so aptly put it, “the baddest man on the planet.” Peter has done everything asked of him. He has earned his shot. He was willing to take step aside money so Maskaev could fight the undeserving Klitschko and then fight the winner and he still doesn’t get the glory of winning the title in the ring. The only thing that can rectify this mess is if Maskaev indeed goes away and Peter fights Wladimir Klitschko in a rematch of their compelling 2005 bout and unifies the title. The heavyweight division is still a mess but most people now believe that Wladimir and Peter are the two best big men in the game. A rematch is a must. It’s the only thing that will clear the air. To hell with all these stupid belts and their damn sanctioning fees. The fans know how the division can be sorted out and a fighter like Peter, who is willing to get in the ring with anyone, will always give them what they want. And we want an undisputed heavyweight champion.
Writers Note:
Samuel Peter has now signed on to fight Jameel McCline at Madison Square Garden in New York. The official date has yet to be determined.